[currentuser role=”instructor_level”]
Instructor: Madelaine Winstanley
Community: Ages 8-9, School Setting, 60 minutes
Plan Creation Date: November 19, 2014
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Strength
Resources: Pre-class colouring sheets & pens, Class set of mats, Ipod and docking station, Lavender room spray, Yoga Calm posters, Chime bar, Hoberman Sphere, Storybook The Paper Bag Princess, Class plan, Drum for Archetype Game, Relaxation story script
Lesson Plan:
Welcome & Check-in
- Check-in – How is everyone feeling this afternoon? What do you remember from last week? Recap session two.
- Aims for today – Last week we practised being still, noticing what it feels like to help our bodies and minds to become still and thinking about when being still might be important. Today we are going to focus on finding and feeling our own strength.
Calm
- Seated Belly Breathing – using Hoberman Sphere with student leader. Ask the group to compliment the leader, and the leader to compliment the counter. Focus on the strength inside you.
- Read The Paper Bag Princess
- One Minute Exploration – Was Elizabeth strong? How do you know? Ask the students what it means to be strong and then give them one minute of silence to think about it. Ask them to share with another student. Invite volunteers to share with the whole group (draw out that we can have strong minds, hearts and bodies, and think of other heroes from other stories who might also be strong in this way). Let’s hold onto these ideas as we move through our class.
- Seated Pulse Count – (30 seconds) – Now let’s focus on being strong in our minds and focusing (student timer). Who managed to stay focused that whole time?
Activate
- Archetype Game – There are many characters in the stories we were talking about before and they all have their different strengths – explore different archetypes through the game ending with warrior. As students move, ask them to think about what it means to be a warrior. We often think of warriors as fighters only who are strong in their bodies, but is fighting the first action a true warrior takes when he or she is faced with a problem or the last? Think of some other ways a warrior might need to be strong and times they might need to be strong like this.
- Star – Demonstrate Star Pose using a student volunteer (NB arms parallel to the floor) – try first without any specific strengthening instructions, then a second time asking the student to activate the strong warrior inside them (switch on all your muscles and feel your strength flow out of your chest, your fingertips, down through your feet and out the top of your head.) Explain that they might also say these words to themselves – ‘I am strong’. By doing that we’re combining mental and physical strength.
- Star Challenge – in pairs – Don’t push so hard you tip someone over – try without your body activated, then try with the strong warrior inside you activated. Discuss – What did you notice?
- Warrior Flow – feeling your own strength
- Star (activate inner strength – teacher to do strength tests)
Warrior II to the left – turn your left foot in slightly to the right and your right foot all the way out to your right. Breathe in and lift arms up parallel to the floor, palms facing down. Exhale and bend the right knee until it is right over the ankle with the shin straight up and down. NB shoulders over pelvis, not tipping to one side and shoulders backand down. Activate and expand again. Think of someone who is strong for you and be strong back – feel that warrior inside you who is strong for others. - Rising Moon – reach front palm up to the sky and take the back hand to the back thigh.
- Star
- Chair – legs hip-width apart, inhale and raise and straighten arms overhead parallel. Exhale, bend knees and take thighs back as if sitting in an imaginary chair. Knees in alignment with feet. Feet pointing straight ahead and pressing down four corners. Lift belly, head and heart. Feel your strength! To come out of the pose, breathe in, press down through the feet and reach up to the sky while gradually lengthening and straightening your legs. Finish in mountain.
Warrior II to right – Take a moment to remember how strong you are. - Star
- Chair – end in mountain. Repeat the flow with a student leader
- Discuss – When is it helpful to be calm and to be strong?
- Star (activate inner strength – teacher to do strength tests)
Calm
- Forward Bend – bend or soften your knees as you reach for the floor. Breathe into your back. Feel the calm, quiet strength that is always inside you. There are many ways to be strong. Give yourself a compliment. What was one way you were strong this afternoon?
- Scripted Relaxation – Lie down comfortably, closing your eyes and letting your breathing gradually slow down. Tune in to the sounds around you. Story – Indigo Dreaming page 33 – Big Tree.
- Chime – Finish with chime bar, roll onto side, sit up when you’re ready, three deep breaths and thank you.